error -10810 . the application Finder could not be opened

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error -10810 . the application Finder could not be opened

Hello

I recently (about 2 days ago) updated my early 2008 Mac Pro through the standard software update and since doing so my computer has begun acting like it wants to crawl into a hole and die.

There are a number of issues I have noticed. After using the computer for maybe 10-15 minutes I am no longer able to select any applications from my dock and when trying to access the finder it becomes unresponsive. I can then no longer open any programs and if I am lucky I might be able to close whatever curnent program I am using. Sometimes when I try to open a finder window I get the error message -10810 'The application Finder could not be opened'

for a while I could not empty my trash as well although that now seems to have passed.

image icons for some programs in my dock have vanished but when i hover over the space where the iconused to be the program seems to still be there.

I have no idea when my comptuer might freeze. sometimes it's within 10 minutes and other times it is within 1 minute of starting. It's so bad that since updating my mac 2 days ago I have not been able to shutdown the computer properly and have to hold the power button to turn off.

I have tried doing a disk utility verify and it does not seem to find anything wrong with my hard drive.

can anyone help. It's a pain lugging this thing to my nearest Mac store as I don't have a car.

I am using OSX 10.6.8

thanks

PowerMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Sep 19, 2013 3:38 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 19, 2013 6:45 AM in response to melechtric

Sometimes problems like this are caused by a failing Hard Drive, so top priority is to get your Backups current.

"Any Drive can fail at any time."

Next on the suspects list is third-party software you ave installed, that may not be compatible with the newest changes, or is just useless junk. Most anti-Virus software is ported from Windows, and is solidly in the useless junk category.

Last on the list because it is more work to fix is a bad Mac OS X software image. This can be due to Disk Errors, installing on top of unresolved Directory Damage, or "just because". The REAL fix is to erase your Boot Drive and install a guaranteed fresh copy, then use Software Update to bring it up to date.

Do NOT erase all you files unless you have TWO complete backups, preferably using different backup methods.

The other approach is to have all User files on a separate drive, and establish a "lean and mean" Boot Drive with only System, Library, Applications, and the hidden unix files including Paging/Swap. Most User files are moved off to a Data Drive or Drives.

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Answer 2

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

Sep 19, 2013 7:52 AM in response to melechtric

10.6.8 means you don't have a Recovery Mode and all the more reason to use CCC religiously to have bootable backups.

CCC can verify the file integrity of every file

It is harder to verify the integrity of every disk block or sector

10.6.8 does not run on PowerMac and Mac Pro is not one of those anyway (the POWER part is IBM or MOTO/Freescale G-series of computers, Mac Pro is "Intel Xeon Inside")

Overdue to a new boot drive. Never apply updates w/o a clone. Updates have gotten better. Lion or ML would provide more security, drops support for PowerPC and Rosetta though if you have to use older programs.

2008 uses FBDIMMs which even with their ECC can have problems (new FBDIMMs are cheaper, $60 4x2GB, better, run cooler, all of which helps). Garbage in / Garbage Out and same somewhat goes for disk drives too.

A good choice today is a SSD of 120-250GB for system ($90-170) and 1-2TB drive for media and data ($90-160)

And don't rule out your graphic card, still using the OEM 2600xt? 8800GT? good time and reason to upgrade.

Need a newer but not newest? OWC has 2009 4,1 starting at $880 used which are less trouble and handle Mountain Lion better. Yet to see what the requirements will likely be for 10.9 when it comes out later.

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